Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part V

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

Try Fox - Fox here is reporting live from there

1,861 posted on 09/23/2005 4:51:25 AM PDT by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")

making up a couple of special T-shirts

I EVACUATED
I didn't get any Gas
But I Got This Nifty T-Shirt!

1,862 posted on 09/23/2005 4:51:26 AM PDT by Flyer (Houston FReepers ~ http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ ~ (SW Houston)

I saw the video feed of the bus fire on Fox News a few minutes ago. It certainly doesnt look good at all.

It was still too dark to see what type - if any - rescue attempts are being attempted.

1,863 posted on 09/23/2005 4:52:17 AM PDT by texianyankee

Hurricane Rita Intermediate Advisory Number 23a
Statement as of 7:00 am CDT on September 23, 2005

 
...Extremely dangerous category four Hurricane Rita continues toward
the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts...

 
a Hurricane Warning is in effect from Port O'Connor Texas to Morgan
City Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions
are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

 
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the southeastern coast of
Louisiana east of Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl River
including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain...and
from south of Port O'Connor to Port Mansfield Texas.  A Tropical
Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected
within the warning area within the next 24 hours.  Some portions of
the Tropical Storm Warning in Texas could be discontinued later
today.

  
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

 
At 7 am CDT...1200z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 27.1 north...longitude 91.5 west or about 260 miles
southeast of Galveston Texas and about 220 miles south-southeast of
Cameron Louisiana.

 
Rita is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph...and this general
motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.  On this
track...the core of Rita will be approaching the southwest
Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts late today or tonight.

 
Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph...with higher gusts.  Rita
is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale.  Some fluctuations in strength are expected
during the next 24 hours.

 
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the
center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205
miles.

 
The minimum central pressure just estimated from Air Force Reserve
hurricane hunter aircraft data was 930 mb...27.46 inches.

 
Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal tide
levels...along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be
expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall.
Tides are currently running about 2 feet above normal along the
Louisiana...Mississippi and Alabama coasts in the areas affected by
Katrina. Tides in those areas will increase to 3 to 5 feet and be
accompanied by large waves...and residents there could experience
coastal flooding.  Large swells generated by Rita will likely affect
most portions of the Gulf Coast.

 
Rita is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12
inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches over
southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as it moves inland.
Since Rita is forecast to slow down significantly after making
landfall...total accumulations in excess of 25 inches are possible
over the next several days across eastern Texas and western
Louisiana.  In addition...rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are
possible over southeastern Louisiana including metropolitan New
Orleans.

 
Isolated tornadoes are possible today over portions of southeastern
Texas and southern Louisiana.

 
Repeating the 7 am CDT position...27.1 N... 91.5 W.  Movement
toward...northwest near 10 mph.  Maximum sustained winds...140 mph. 
Minimum central pressure... 930 mb.

 
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at
10 am CDT.

 
Forecaster Avila

1,864 posted on 09/23/2005 4:52:40 AM PDT by NautiNurse (The task before us is enormous, but so is the heart of America.)

1,865 posted on 09/23/2005 4:52:41 AM PDT by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")

>> the largest mass evacuation that ever occurred in the US <<

"Texodus" -- the Texas Exodus.

1,866 posted on 09/23/2005 4:53:41 AM PDT by OwenKellogg

To: texianyankee

I heard them say that people were breaking windows to help get folks off the burning bus when the news crews arrived -

1,867 posted on 09/23/2005 4:54:20 AM PDT by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")

Those stations that did stay open and sell gas are to be commended, but did you notice how many were closed. In my area Ft.Bend 75% were closed, with no doubt full tanks.

1,868 posted on 09/23/2005 4:55:01 AM PDT by gumboyaya

Latest movement: .3 degrees North, .5 degrees to the west. Prior report was .4 and .4. Sped up forward motion as well.

1,869 posted on 09/23/2005 4:55:25 AM PDT by alancarp (Will hack code for oil)

To: NautiNurse; texianyankee

They are saying now that it was a charter bus out of Houston carrying elderly evacuees - 5 taken away in ambulances

1,870 posted on 09/23/2005 4:56:37 AM PDT by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")

1,871 posted on 09/23/2005 4:56:57 AM PDT by RDTF

Texas doesn't take price gouging lightly, so I hope those stations do the right thing.

And it will be nice to have gas available for those of us that stayed.

1,872 posted on 09/23/2005 4:58:48 AM PDT by Flyer (Houston FReepers ~ http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ ~ (SW Houston)

To: NautiNurse; texianyankee

now they are saying multiple fatalities

1,873 posted on 09/23/2005 4:59:36 AM PDT by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")

They are trying to get fuel out there, but they can't fuel cars from the tankers because the nozzles wouldn't fit. They can't get drivers either.

The Army and National Guard have fuel carrying vehicles designed to pump gas to pump gas to vehicles in the field. If you got a bunch of those, they could be filled from the big trucks, and then sent around to fuel empty cars

1,874 posted on 09/23/2005 5:01:00 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Never try to teach a pig to sing -- it wastes your time and it annoys the pig)

This story sounds like it should have its own thread. Very sad.

1,875 posted on 09/23/2005 5:01:06 AM PDT by NautiNurse (The task before us is enormous, but so is the heart of America.)

The explosions may have been oxygen bottles.

1,876 posted on 09/23/2005 5:01:15 AM PDT by Flyer (Houston FReepers ~ http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ ~ (SW Houston)

nothing on the website yet

1,877 posted on 09/23/2005 5:01:47 AM PDT by RDTF

That's terrible news. Things like this just dont need to happen when people are fleeing to what they believe is safety.
Sad.

1,878 posted on 09/23/2005 5:02:00 AM PDT by texianyankee

I'm thinking there may have been oxygen on board if there were a lot of elderly folks.

1,879 posted on 09/23/2005 5:02:02 AM PDT by NautiNurse (The task before us is enormous, but so is the heart of America.)

That look bad. I wonder if there was someone on the bus who was on oxygen. That could account for the explosion.

1,880 posted on 09/23/2005 5:02:03 AM PDT by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's son and keep him strong.)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794